Safe
by PurelyAwesome28
Summary: Lifetimes after the battle with the Dark Forest, Eaglepaw feels safe in his Clan. The cat he meets in their territory, though, is not just a loner. Or a rogue. Life becomes, what could be called a curse.
1. Chapter 1

A prologue. In Eaglepaw's POV. I haven't written in a while. Review, if you can :)

I was just an apprentice. I was barely an apprentice. It was just last moon that Maplestar had made me one. I was really supposed to become an apprentice only now, but ThunderClan had held my ceremony early. Or, at least, that was what my Clanmates had said. I've wanted to leave the nursery, ever since an apprentice first entered it with freshkill. Nightpaw, now Nightfur, made me feel slightly jealous.

Besides, if they disagreed with their leader, they did not put it into words. Maplestar was strict, powerful, proud. I was her own grandson, so of course she liked me. Not every leader obeyed the warrior code completely. Some felt, that it was too old, to be as effective as it used to be.

My mentor was Graystorm. I've only just met him, when I began training. Kits were still not allowed out of the camp, and Graystorm spent much of his time on patrol. But I already admired him. He was so strong, so smart, so valuable to his Clan. Maybe I would grow up to be like that, so tough and respected.

He already taught me a few techniques, useful for life out in the forest. One of the first was how to hunt. I've tried catching a few butterflies in the camp before. I usually missed, and they usually flew away. The older apprentices would laugh at me. But I knew they must have once been kits too.

Now, with Graystorm's help, I felt less embarrassed. I caught a mouse on my first day. If I kept myself hidden and didn't make noise, I wouldn't be noticed. I would be able to catch prey, which would be brought back to the Clan. The Clan would be proud of me, even those cranky elders. Warriors would protect me, until I was old enough to finish my training. I felt safe in my Clan.

Next was battle training. ShadowClan was acting hostile. Prey was usually plentiful in greenleaf, but they kept stealing it. From our territory, and only ours...For some reason. Well, who else could it be? The warriors thought ShadowClan was just looking for trouble. If this continued for much longer, ThunderClan would attack. We should teach those thieves a lesson, sure. Therefore, all apprentices needed to learn basic battle moves.

Graystorm was a fast teacher, or maybe he just thought I was a quick learner. Since a battle was most likely coming up, I mastered all of the skills Maplestar decided were necessary. And a moon hasn't passed yet. Maplestar would talk to the ShadowClan leader, at the next Gathering. But still, would Owlstar wait?

I liked climbing trees. I could almost get to the top of one, since I was small for a cat and weighed little. If in danger, I could attack enemy warriors from the trees. You know, give them a little surprise? Just, it would take a lot of time to get down.

One day, I left the camp without my mentor. Well, I didn't think I was wanted for the dawn patrol. I haven't checked with the warriors, didn't want to wake them up. Not Blizzardclaw either, the deputy didn't like me as much as Maplestar did. Whenever I came to ask him something, Blizzardclaw would find a way to get rid of me.

Some rogue was just sitting there. In the middle of the forest. Licking his lips after the tasty meal of a young rabbit. How early. It would've been delicious if my Clan could have it.

Oh, how much I was taught to hate rogues. I thought I was normal for disliking them. Perhaps the Clan cats are right to hate them. I didn't think it would, but what I did next totally changed my life. Things took a turn for the worse.


	2. Chapter 2

I climbed one of the taller trees in the forest, as quietly as I could. My favorite. From here, I could see some of the surrounding territory, almost the whole forest! The rogue had caught a squirrel, put it down, and was hunting again. Like no one would take the prey. Like it was okay to hunt here, to steal from the Clans. Arrogant mousebrain.

Still, I will be Eaglestar. I will defeat invaders. Who would be my deputy? Well, I asked some of the other apprentices to come with me. But none of them were very interested. Maybe their mentors hadn't taught them as much. As much as Graystorm had taught me.

Already, a plan was forming in my head. It would be fun, I promised myself. My mentor will be proud of me. Below me, the other cat was still hunting. Good.

The sun was already shining, it was warm outdoors. Not that I've ever been inside a Twoleg den, and hope I never will be. I wondered, would the rogue (or whoever he was) look for me here? I smiled. I didn't know, but he wouldn't be able to see my golden pelt behind the leaves. To recognize it, as belonging to me, that wouldn't happen. The rogue had probably never seen me before. And when he does see me, he'll be glad. I'm just an apprentice, yes, but I will chase this cat out of ThunderClan territory. I am determined.

I decided that I could manage this alone. I looked to make sure that I had everything I needed. It wasn't a lot, I might need my fighting skills later. For now, just some stones. And a sharp object I found near the Twolegplace, when Graystorm wasn't watching me. The object cut the branch I was clinging to. I moved away fast, just in time. I scurried up the tree. The bark was rough.

I think the rogue was surprised, certainly. Luckily for him, the branch did not hit him on the head. Now he looked up. I pelted his face with stones, although they were just pebbles. All I could carry and still climb. He stared up at the tree, angry. Very angry, actually. Annoyed, irritated. Enraged. But I felt even more happy.

The branch I had picked, it wasn't tiny. It weighed a lot. When it fell, I expected it to hurt the rogue. So I leaped out of the tree, and landed on his back. I clawed at it, ripping out chunks of fur. Good luck with that back. It would hurt even more.

However, I might have underestimated that rogue. He threw me off, and I crashed into that same tree I had climbed. For an apprentice like me, the pain was almost unbearable. Would I show that?

"Whitepetal!" I called out, but weakly, used to my mother's help.

I was embarrassed, this wasn't how a Clan leader would act. I wanted to be somewhere else. But I wouldn't let the rogue enjoy eating here.

"Help!" I tried again, yelling out to the forest. "HELP!"

Quiet, little idiot," the rogue clamped his paw over the younger cat's mouth. Too late.

I waited and waited. There seemed to be no reply. I sighed and fell to the ground, exhausted and hurt. _Just kill me now, I'm just an apprentice._ Maybe if the ground just swallowed me up, it would be better.

Eventually, I heard footsteps. Running. Was I in StarClan? No, not yet. A patrol, consisting of Graystorm, Palefeather, and Dawnstripe appeared. It was the first hunting patrol Blizzardclaw had sent out for the day. I must have left camp even earlier than I thought. The patrol looked around, what had caused me to get hurt?

"What are you talking about, young one..." Palefeather muttered.

"We see no one here but you," his sister, also a senior warrior, added.

Maybe they just hadn't looked carefully enough. Graystorm was probably wondering what his apprentice was doing here, alone.

"Trying to wake up the whole forest?" my mentor joked.

"No, Graystorm."

Dawnstripe sniffed. "I smell rogue." Rogues meant trouble.

Her brother agreed. "And only one. There's scent, but it's not very strong."

"Good job, Eaglepaw." Graystorm smiled. Did he realize? The young apprentice had beaten a rogue in a fight. Great practice against ShadowClan invaders. But the truth was, no.

"Thanks?" I knew I had been fighting a cat, maybe a scary one. He must have sensed the patrol approaching.

"But next time," the gray warrior meowed, "don't scare away the prey."

I nodded. "Okay."

"Return to camp and let us know."

"Or just let Maplestar or Blizzardclaw know," Palefeather said lazily.

"Yes, and that," Graystorm told Eaglepaw. "Don't forget."

"You should've told him that earlier..." Dawnstripe murmured.

Somewhere, nearby, the rogue laughed. It hurt, but for the other cat, it would hurt more.

Tom's scent. Tom's blood. Yes, he would remember. It was similar to most of the smell around this place. Smell of the Clans, how unpleasant. Yet the tom looked like his brother. The rogue's brother was dead. It wasn't sickness that had taken him, or anything like that. The rogue remembered almost perfectly. The memory would haunt him forever. He had killed him.


	3. Chapter 3

I'm very sorry it took me almost a month to update...

The Erins own Warriors.

Young Eaglepaw (he felt like a little hero now) grew up. He grew stronger, and learned even more. His head injury healed, and he stayed healthy. As Eaglepaw kept training, he quickly forgot about the rogue. Or whoever that cat was. Fights with ShadowClan occurred often, more than once almost every moon. Peace was only temporary, and the warriors wondered how long this would last.

Maplestar and Blizzardclaw were busy bees, sending out extra border patrols. But not every warrior cat could go. It was important to keep every cat well fed, obviously. So was defending the camp. Cats were tired, some very exhausted. Eaglepaw himself was on his last legs. But then he heard his mentor's voice. Calling him, oh great. What now? Apparently Blizzardclaw wanted apprentices too. He always seemed to give Eaglepaw more work to do than the others. Was Eaglepaw happy? Of course not, that lazy furball.

The golden apprentice followed Mistpaw out of the apprentices' den.

"Lucky," she had said, after asking him where he was going.

Eaglepaw yawned, yesterday he had gone on five patrols. "Why?"

"I have to clean the elders' den," Mistpaw replied, sighing. "All by myself!"

Eaglepaw shrugged. Oh. He wasn't surprised. Last moon, he had visited the elders. All of them were grumpy, and it would be cough season soon (white and green). Fortunately, Eaglepaw's friend Redpaw was with him.

"The elders might tell you a story," Eaglepaw told the younger apprentice.

Eaglepaw and Mistpaw, however, continued talking. They had a long chat, and maybe Eaglepaw told Mistpaw a story. Not that he'd be an elder anytime soon. Apprentices had a lot to talk about. By the time Eaglepaw found Graystorm, the rest of the patrol had already assembled. Graystorm's apprentice saw that it was Featherpelt, Roseheart, and Yellowtail. And Redpaw, who laughed. Redpaw was convinced that every young she-cat Eaglepaw talked to, he had a crush on.

The warriors also talked. Apparently WindClan was also getting involved in this dispute...this rivalry that ShadowClan had.

"Well, let's go!" Graystorm meowed loudly, so the group could hear him.

The two apprentices brought up the rear. They were slower than the full grown cats.

"Blizzardclaw won't be happy if we're late," Eaglepaw said.

Redpaw nodded, he was looking at something in the distance. Eaglepaw didn't bother asking his friend what it was.

Instead, he suggested they catch up. Redpaw disagreed. At this pace, they could talk about more. Like, when the older cats wouldn't hear them. Because apprentice talk was not usually very interesting, and sometimes it was silly. Unless intelligent apprentices, Redpaw and Eaglepaw for example, were the ones speaking.

This time, it was about the battle that was soon to come. The fastest way to become a warrior, Redpaw agreed with Eaglepaw, was to fight for ThunderClan, and fight well.

Redpaw asked him one of his very interesting questions, but now Eaglepaw wasn't listening. The golden apprentice heard another voice. It didn't sound like Redpaw at all.

I'm warning you.

"What?"

I'm warning you, kit.

"I'm not a kit!"

I'm warning you.

I'm warning you.

I'm warning you.

"Shut up!"

I'M WARNING YOU.

Death will come.

"Eaglepaw?" Redpaw questioned him again.

"Nothing," his friend muttered.

"And what do you think you're doing here?"

Eaglepaw and Redpaw had walked straight into ShadowClan territory.

Somewhere, an unfamiliar cat peered out of a bush. A stranger was watching. The cat's fur was short and dark. He emerged slowly, prepared to flee if the Clan cats noticed that he was there. If they were in fact Clanners, he must be deep inside their territory. They did smell like a group of cats that his friend had described to him, but he had never seem or smelled before.

Twigs cracked under his feet, paws that hurt since he often found thorns stuck in them. He thought these cats had to be ThunderClan. The biggest Clan, but they were soft compared to the others. Well known for their kittypet additions. The dark cat hated kittypets, kittypets would never know what a challenge was.

Meanwhile, the dark cat faced challenges every day, a daily struggle to survive in the wild. Who would feel sorry for those spoiled fools, pampered by their two legged owners? Not him. Careful, he warned himself, you're making too much noise.


	4. Chapter 4

"Well?" Hollyshade of ShadowClan growled.

"We're sorry," Redpaw and Eaglepaw mewed together like kits, not knowing what else to say. They backed away from the angry warrior, a little scared.

"Sorry catches no prey!" Hollyshade spat. She thought for a moment.

"Is prey what you came here for?" Their hunting skills must be really horrible, even for ThunderClan apprentices.

"No," Eaglepaw and Redpaw meowed, more confident than before. Each was forming his own plan.

"Let's attack," whispered Eaglepaw, so only Redpaw could hear him. At least, he hoped so. He imagined that he was already Eaglestar, giving orders to his brave and valiant deputy.

Redpaw tried not to laugh. Eaglepaw, always thinking he was the best. Maybe he could take on a clan of badgers rather than just a fully trained warrior cat. Still, fully trained meant dangerous. If that warrior was Hollyshade.

"I can think of a better solution," Redpaw said, as the she-cat unsheathed her claws. "Run!"

This was ShadowClan territory, but please, let the patrol be nearby. Blizzardclaw will really be happy when his warriors inform him of this. Yes! He'll make us warriors early! No, of course not. We're just showing we need extra moons in our apprenticeship.

"_I guessed what you were thinking. I knew that you would choose to let them go. What a failure, for a ShadowClan warrior. ShadowClan almost never lets anyone go. It is the greatest Clan around here, you said. Very well, I will believe you...even though I haven't visited your Clan recently. Still, you let them escape, mousebrain. So you wouldn't have to use your pitiful fighting skills. And I know what you would say if you heard my opinion. Something like: "False. Flamestar trusts me. He knows I will defend my Clan, even if I might die in battle." But truth is, that is false, he doesn't. I know this because I was a leader myself. I was the greatest leader, but maybe I had my flaws. Flaws which I will not tell you about, since those flaws don't matter. Some cats felt that I did not deserve my 9 lives, but they were wrong. And yes, Flamestar would gladly have picked another. Another deputy, not you. You have me to thank for your position. If you follow the path I chose for you, you'll also receive the 9 lives of a leader. I think you know who I am. The legendary Firestar of ThunderClan was a fool. I am not dead forever. Remember, do what I say. You will be rewarded."_

Kill them. Show them what it means to follow the rules.

"Well, I don't know... whoever you are. They're just apprentices."

Their Clan should've taught them better.

"Yes."

Kill them.

"No, that's a little too much."

Kill. Kill. Kill.

"But they just crossed our border."

That's acceptable now?

"No."

Don't accept their apology. They were obviously here for a reason.

They're better off dead.

Hollyshade smiled. "Not so fast."

"ShadowClan, attack!" This time, it was a real order. Warriors, every one from ShadowClan, arrived.

"Voice," she muttered. "Happy?" She wouldn't kill the apprentices.

Hollyshade of ShadowClan was not only the new deputy, she was also going to be a good one.


	5. Chapter 5

Very sorry, it's been taking an (extremely) long time to update. Have this (confusing?) chapter.

Many moons earlier:

On the other side of Clan territory, there was a little settlement near the border. The Twolegs had recently constructed houses and moved in. Many brought cats with them, spoiled kittypets. But other cats lived around the Twolegplace, and they were more independent. One of these cats, who came to the Twolegs rarely, had a kittypet sister.

There was a visitor to her Twoleg's house and yard one day. This visitor was not a human.

"Who goes there?" asked a tom cat, the kittypet's brother.

A brown tabby she-cat rolled her eyes and lifted up a small, fluffy ball of fur. A kit. How could he not remember? Yet both of their scents were unfamiliar to the tom.

The tom grinned, so cute. "Looks a lot like me!"

"Yes," said the she-cat. "That's your son."

"Didn't think I'd have a son with a beautiful she-cat like you!"

The other cat sighed. Those compliments he gave.

"Congratulations, Tommy. Now do me a favor."

"And what would that be?" the tom asked, now smiling.

"I've got a busy life, no time. I can't take care of the kit."

The tom stared at her for a very long time. WHAT.

"You heard me?" meowed the she-cat.

"So it's just the son?" Tommy muttered.

"Yes. Sadly, the daughters are no longer living." She replied.

"It's freezing, Marlene. Should've thought, should've waited." Stupid bitch, except you're not a female dog.

"I tried my best, can't bring them back now."

"Yeah, can't bring em back from the dead…" Tommy repeated. "That's not good, sweetheart. Um…don't worry. The one left will be safe with your pal Tommy." The tom soothed, nuzzling her cheek. Don't be selfish, Marlene. Go die in a hole or something. I'm only doing this because I love you, even if you don't love me.

"MARGE!" he called. "Look who's here!"

Marge, the kittypet, stepped outside her cottage. "Oh, Marlene, that baby's pawsitively purrfect!" she exclaimed. "My owners will love him!" _Oh, that's one chubby cat. Out in the wild, we might (some miracle) be well fed. But we have to work for it. And no, just no. Or I don't even know, really. Tommy shouldn't think of himself as my friend. I'm only here because I have no choice. I didn't even know what I was doing! Why did I let him do this to me?_

Before Marlene left, she looked back one last time at the two other cats and her kit. She turned one last time again, and slashed her sharp claws across that pathetic Tommy's face.

"Real nice meeting you," she muttered, hints of sarcasm in her tone.

The tom, frowning and face bleeding scarlet blood, only dipped his head. Pain that maybe he deserved? "My pleasure."


End file.
